Violin and process of making the same.



and all other UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HANS TIETGEN, OFNEW YORK, N. Y.

VIOLIN" AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME.

No vDrawing.

ofthe boroughof Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Violins and Processes ofMa-king the Same, of which the following is aspecification.

My process has for its object the proper treatment of wood for the=purpose of utilizing the-same in the production of violins, instruments which have sounding boards-made of wood, and consists substantially in the steps hereinafter described whichare-particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In'order to illustrate the process, I shall describe the same as it is applied to the manufacture of a violin or similar instru-- ment.

I first build the violin, complete with the top, back, sides, neck andbass bar, and drill into it the tail piece bottom .hole,-but do not cut the f holes. The top or belly, I make preferably of fir,-and-the bottom, sides and neckof curly maple, both woods beingthoroughly seasoned. I then give the instrument two coats of solution prepared substantially in the following manner: To 9 parts, by measure, of 95% alcohol, I add 3 parts of commercial nitric acid, and permit the mixture to stand about half an hour; then I add 6 parts of turpentine and permit the resultant mixture to stand until crystals form on the bottom. This may take about six months, or even longer, and the longer this solution is permitted to stand, the better will be the result, it being advisable to permit the same to stand for several years. I decant the light brown supernatant liquid, add to it a clear solution of 3 parts, by measure, of gum mastic, in 9 parts of turpentine, and permit the mixture to st-anc until it clears and crystals again form. Care should be taken, not to apply this so lution in any but dry weather. The instrument should then be allowed to dry sit; days at room temperature. When the instrument is thoroughly dry, I give the top, back and sides, a coat of commercial nitric acid, applying the same with a horse-hair brush as evenly as possible, and taking care to avoid applying too much; and then dry it quickly with gentle, artificial heat, and again two days at room temperature. I then give the top of the violin, and the top Specification of Letters Patent.

only, two coats of varnish, prepared by dissolving gum elemi (1 part by measure), in alcohol (6 parts), over a water bath, the coats being :applied while the varnish is still hot. The back, sides, scroll and neck, are then painted with plain alcohol (95%). either hot or cold. The instrument is then dried at room temperature for about a week; it is then cleaned with raw linseed oil, and the f holes are cut. My reason for not cutting the f holes until this stage of the process has been reached, is that during th application of the first solution which penetrates the wood, vapors arise within the instrument, and it is of advantage to have these vapors confined as long as possible, soas to penetrate the wood, not only of the top, back and sides, but also of the bass bar and linings; also that the various solutions when applied to the instrument will not flow into the interior; moreover, if

f holes where prematurely cut, their edges might be injured during the various drying processes, and there would be liability of atwisting of the top. The violin may now be varnished with a suitable alcohol varnish but not with an oil varnish. I have found that an alcohol varnish made of sandarac gum, is the most suit-able for this purpose, especially if a small quantity of my above described gum mastic solution be added thereto.

By means of this treatment, I have been able to produce instruments whose tone resembles that of the Stradivarius type of violin. One reason for this result is to be found in the application of gum elemi to the top, and not to the sides and back of the instrument, so that the top is rendered hard, and the remainder of the body soft, thus ob taining from the former, the deep, broad tones, and from the latter the light, clear tones which, in combination, produce the unique effect which is characteristic of the Stradivarius type of violin. Another reason is to be found in the use of nitric acid which clears the wood and removes albumins and resins, thus enabling the production of uniform and clear tones; and, together with the gum of my first solution, forms a hard, ivory-like surface which not cnly protects the wood but assists in keeping the same in shape. The purpose of the first coating, with the gum mastic solution is to soften the wood, and to protect the wood, the glue and the purfiing against the Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

, Application filed May 9, 1912. -Seria1.No. 696,059. r

action of the nitric acid which is thereafter applied.

My process may be varied within certain limits, without departing from the spirit of my invention, but it is advisable in all cases to follow the process above described as closely as possible in order to obtain the best results. My process may, of course, be applied to woods of all kinds when the same are to be used for the manufacture of sounding boards for string instruments.

I claim:

1. As an improvement in the art of treating wood in the form of a part of a stringed instrument, the method which consists in treating the same with nitric acid, and then coating the same with varnish, having gum elemi as a base, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. As an improvement in the art of treating wood in the form of a part of a stringed instrument, the method which consists in applying thereto a coating of gum mastic, dissolved in nitric acid, alcohol and turpentine, substantially as herein described, then treating the same with nitric acid, and then coating the same with varnish, having gum elemi as a base, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The improvement in the art of manufacturing violins and similar instruments, which consists in treating the wooden parts of such an instrument in assembled condition with nitric acid, and thereafter coating the top, but not the sides and back, with a coating of varnish containing gum elemi as a base, substantially as and for the purpose described.

41. The improvement in the art of manufacturing violins and similar instruments, which consists in treating the wooden parts of such an instrument in assembled condition with a coating of gum mastic, dissolved in nitric acid, alcohol and turpentine, substantially as herein described, then applying thereto nitric acid, and thereafter coating the top, but not the sides and back, with a coating of varnish containing gum elemi as a base, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a violin or similar instrument the body of which is made of wood substantially free from albumins and resins and the top, but not the sides and back, of which is provided with a coating comprising gum elemi, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HANS TIETGEN. WVitnesses:

FRITZ v. BRIESEN, JOHN A. KnHLENBncK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

